K.J. ElphinstoneHow would you describe your ordinary daily level of anxiety (if any at all)?
Non existent
A little bit, usually
Pretty anxious
Basically terrified
Poll ended at .
Fish Id Wardrobe ⁂@KatyElphinstone i'm not sure i know "my" level of anxiety. am i calm? or am i just styling it out and kidding myself?
Drew 🇵🇭@KatyElphinstone I ticked "a litle bit, usually" which is my state now. Until a few months ago it was "basically terrified" and had been since age 11 (I'm 58). A year ago I had some sessions with a psychologist, then a few months ago I did some #psilocybin microdosing, and now I take #rhodiola daily, and I think these 3 things combined are responsible for the change. I feel I'm living again.
I'm truly happy to hear that! I've heard microdosing can be incredibly effective, perhaps especially for neurodivergent folk.
olena@KatyElphinstone basically terrified, but some days I am better at avoiding letting myself notice that.
Like all the fears are still there, but some days I am able to kinda put a layer over them letting me pretend I don’t hear them - and that way avoid ruminating them in my consciousness, but that doesn’t mean they stop dominating the unconscious
Like all the fears are still there, but some days I am able to kinda put a layer over them letting me pretend I don’t hear them - and that way avoid ruminating them in my consciousness, but that doesn’t mean they stop dominating the unconscious
bananamangodog@KatyElphinstone I have to clarify though, that none of my anxiety is dysfunctional anxiety; its all 100% justifiable.
HighlandLawyer
Chloé 🏳️⚧️@KatyElphinstone Without treatment: nightmare. With meds: quite livable actually.
That Frisian Girl-ish@KatyElphinstone Ah, you see, none of what has been misdiagnosed as "anxiety" with me has turned out to be anxiety at all, but realistic and founded expectation, and I just quite sanely don't want to get hurt by painful sensory overwhelm, or common, predictable ways the world is just awful that always seem to either surprise or not bother the NTs.
Very nicely put.
Steffi Jên 🏴🏳️⚧@KatyElphinstone I've gone with a little bit, but this is after years of always being between Pretty anxious & Basically terrified.
I only discovered my autism three years ago (huge penny drop moment!) and on moving to Abertawe I made a conscious decision to avoid masking whenever I was aware I was about to. This, together with menopause, made such a positive difference to my anxiety.
I do still worry & overthink, of course, but now it's more about specifics rather than a constant dread.
I only discovered my autism three years ago (huge penny drop moment!) and on moving to Abertawe I made a conscious decision to avoid masking whenever I was aware I was about to. This, together with menopause, made such a positive difference to my anxiety.
I do still worry & overthink, of course, but now it's more about specifics rather than a constant dread.
Bernie Luckily Does It@KatyElphinstone If I take my anxiety meds? A little bit, usually. If I don't, pretty anxious. I'm also pretty sure my "a little bit" would floor most people but I've developed a tolerance for it.
Jesse McClure 
My anxiety is very particular. I never got anxious about the things peers did: I was cool as a cucumber for exams, interviews, and even a doctoral dissertation defense (or military service in combat). None of that phased me in the slightest.
But relationship or housing-security issues can leave me absolutely terrified and quite debilitated.
EDIT: and financial / employment issues as others have noted also impact me greatly.
gozes@jmcclure @KatyElphinstone yup relationships, housing, employment, and lack of food will have that effect on me as well
GinevraCat@gozes @KatyElphinstone @jmcclure Money is security. If my bank balance drops lower than a minimum threshold, I really struggle to stay calm.
Chip Butty